On February 6, 2025, the 2025 Product Safety & Compliance Seminar hosted by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) was held at the Westin Long Beach Hotel in Long Beach, California. BACL, as a leader in testing and certification services and an internationally recognized authoritative third party, was invited to attend the conference and gathered with industry leaders, regulatory experts and brand representatives to discuss key regulatory changes, sustainability challenges and compliance strategies that affect industry development. 

The seminar focused on “CPSC Electronic Filing and Compliance Efficiency Improvement”, “PFAS Regulations and Restricted Substances Management”, “Environmental Issues and Microfiber Contamination Response”, “Labeling Compliance and California Proposition 65” and other industry compliance hot topics were discussed and shared in depth, with the aim of supporting the development of a comprehensive risk-based approach, harmonizing global operations, compliance systems and protocols of the legislative standards, and jointly promoting the improvement of product safety and compliance management.

CPSC eFiling and Compliance Efficiency Improvements

The topic focused on the upcoming implementation of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) new electronic filing (eFiling) regulations and provided a comprehensive interpretation of the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPR); during the meeting, BACL experts provided in-depth insights into the latest requirements of the CPSC's eFiling, and also offered valuable insights into how companies can optimize their compliance processes and improve their compliance efficiency in order to respond to the constantly changing regulatory requirements.

PFAS Regulations and Restricted Substances Management

As a topic of great interest to the industry, the conference explored in-depth the latest restrictions on perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), shared compliance strategies and best practices to minimize the associated risks, and focused on the latest revisions to the American Apparel & Footwear Association's (AAFA) Restricted Substances List (RSL), which provided attendees with actionable solutions to ensure product safety.

Environmental Issues and Microfiber Pollution Response

In this sustainability session, BACL experts discussed with attendees the environmental threat of microfiber contamination and strategies to address it, emphasizing the importance of industry collaboration to drive substantive change.

Labeling Compliance and California Proposition 65

The conference emphasized the importance of proper labeling and how to strike a balance between regulatory requirements and consumer needs when designing product labels, as well as an in-depth exchange of information on the latest developments in California's Proposition 65 regulations, and the latest insights on labeling compliance and California's Proposition 65 from BACL experts, who provided practical strategies for compliance.

Through this seminar, BACL has further deepened its communication and cooperation with global counterparts, gained insight into the latest industry challenges and regulatory developments, and strengthened its ability to respond to market changes and development needs. In the future, BACL will follow the industry trend, continue to optimize its technical service capabilities, and provide global customers with safety compliance solutions including CPSC electronic filing, PFAS testing, Restricted Substances List (RSL) testing, etc., to help consumer goods companies and their products meet the increasingly stringent global market access requirements, provide consumers with safer and more reliable products, and promote the sustainable development of the industry.

About AAFA

AAFA, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, was established in 2000 as an industry trade organization representing hundreds of apparel, footwear and sewn products companies and their suppliers in the U.S. AAFA provides exclusive regulatory and policy insights that drive advancements in supply chain and sourcing, trade, logistics and manufacturing, and brand protection to help members navigate the complex regulatory environment and reduce costs.